Edwardian in Scarsdale Full House Remodel

It All Begins With Color

How choosing the color to repaint a Victorian home’s exterior led to the total renovation of the interior, too.

A family in Scarsdale, NY had purchased the husband’s childhood home—a lovely mix of late Victorian, and Queen Anne revival styles—and wanted to change the exterior color from a faded white to something more vibrant and exciting. The painters recommended Kaja Gam as a color consultant for the project.

After speaking with the owners, Kaja created a custom blue giving the exterior a new life and vitality that was sorely lacking.

 

Impressed with the color selection used for the exterior, the couple then hired Kaja to color consult for the home’s interior, which consisted mostly of drab browns, varnished red oak, and flat whites. Kaja wanted to cohesively change the look of the house, and felt that it needed a more exciting but nuanced color scheme that reflected owners’ sense of style.

Kaja chose Farrow & Ball to create a palette with soft colored hues of whites and grays, accented with deep saturated blues that together created a dramatic and dynamic contrast in the interior color scheme. Farrow & Ball is a British paint company, noted for their distinctive paint colors that are inspired by, and frequently used in, the restoration of historic homes.

In addition to a new color scheme, both Kaja and her clients agreed that improvements were needed to address issues such as lack of storage, a better use of space, replacing outdated items and materials, and other practical considerations.

After reviewing Kaja’s portfolio of interior architectural projects, the homeowners decided to hire Kaja to also renovate several sections of the home:

1st Floor

A self-contained space was portioned off from the central hallway to accommodate the wife’s aging grandparents. This area could easily be converted into an extra sitting room and/or office, if needed at a future date.

A powder room was converted into a full bathroom, using universal design concepts for easier accessibility, including a walk-in-shower with a drop-down seat. The bland, white-walled living room was transformed into a cozy library with richly bold blue walls and built-in bookcases to complement the large red brick fireplace.

Off the back entrance, a small room was re-fashioned into a “printing and electronics hub.” Pottery Barn filing cabinets and a custom counter tied it all together, and by placing the A/V equipment closet behind closed doors, Kaja made the room more spacious and less cluttered.

In addition, the walls of the first-floor entry hall were repainting a nuanced white to brighten the area and lots of hooks were added to hold coats, hats, and scarves.

2nd Floor

The master bedroom has a vaulted ceiling but the placement of the doors and windows made it unbalanced. To bring the gaze down and tie the room together, soft gray paneling was added to a dado height. The en-suite bathroom was transformed into a bright and tranquil environment by using white tiles for the walls, Carrara marble for the floor, and a traditional style porcelain vanity. All fixtures are polished nickel.

Storage was an issue as the room had limited built-in closets. In addition, the house had no attic space for storage, as that had been converted to an office/children’s playroom.

Kaja’s solution was to reconfigure the interior of a walk-in closet for the wife, with pocket doors. Dressers were added to both sides of the walk-in, which provided much needed storage and a charming frame to the closet entryway. A section of the bedroom was converted into a reach-in closet and storage was added above the closets for luggage and other minimally-used items.

The two closets and most of the added interior details are in the Edwardian style, while the exterior and existing architectural features of the house, such as the central staircase, are classic late Victorian. All the millwork — including the cabinets, wood paneling, vanities, dressers, and closets — are also in Edwardian style and painted in the gray tones of the Farrow & Ball color palette.

Likewise, in the hallways, the new color palette replaced the dull white wall colors and harsh dark brown of the bannisters and trim, giving the space a more cohesive and appealing look. In addition, a steel-lined laundry chute to the basement with a self-closing lid was added, making gathering the clothes for laundry day a much easier chore.

Attic

The one-room attic was originally converted to an office and also functioned as a playroom filled with children’s toys.

Kaja repainted the walls and trim using pastel grays and whites, added comfortable leather chairs, a couch, and floor lamps for more light, and converted one of the side closets into a bar area with a sink, shelving, and counter space.

While there is still ample room for toys and an office, the attic is now a bright, inviting area to relax or entertain.

Basement

The previous owners had built an addition to the back of the house, consisting of a great room with a vaulted ceiling, storage, and a mud room. As is often the case, this extension created an unnatural break between the two sections of the home reflected in the basement layout.

Kaja removed two storage rooms to open up the space, creating a much larger and more welcoming area that holds a sewing room, a pool table, and gym equipment. The laundry room includes a low basin with a hand shower to wash the dog’s paws after a walk outside.

The laundry room was made bigger and brighter with repainted white walls, additional recessed LED lighting, and a comfortable sitting area with a table and chairs. It is a great place to sit, read, or chat as the laundry is being done.

Kaja’s renovations not only pleased the owners, but significantly increased the home’s market appeal. When the owners eventually moved to Greenwich, CT, they sold their home for a tremendous appreciation in value.

Additional photos from the Edwardian in Scarsdale Full House Remodel

One Comment

  1. The results after renovations are absolutely amazing. I really like how the basement was renovated. It turns out to be a good place to hang out after the renovation.

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